Warriors Fanfic: The Lost Clans
''Drip... drip... drip drip... '' Pinewhisper's green eye struggled to crack open. The tom's ragged breaths drifted out hoarsely, in detectable whooshes. Scarlet blood dripped from the warrior's eyebrow, falling over his still closed eye. The steady plips of the liquid on the hard, musty ground were the only noise conceivable to his battered ears. The blurry image of the forest battlefield gradually shifted into view before him, the colors of green, brown, and red flashing into sight. Pinewhisper barely registered any of it. He winced as he tried to move his heavy head, only to feel spires of pain dancing up his neck and stinging in the gash across his nose. The bloodied warrior's paws shuffled lightly. They, still covered in dried or still wet blood, seemed to be the only part of his body that he could move without feeling stiffness or pain. Even his tail stung when he moved it. Maybe a cat had bitten or clawed it in the bloody chaos that'd been erupting around Pinewhisper not so long ago. He couldn't tell for sure.. the memory was a scary, rapid blur to him now. ''Ugh.. did.. did we win? '' The question of victory sluggishly crossed Pinewhisper's mind through the haze. He tried lifting his paw to steady himself, and managed to dig it into the ground as a support. Slowly, the rest of his sore body followed up until he was in a raised sitting position. His flank hurt vividly. The tom turned his head to glance at it - a deep claw scratch was traced on his left flank, like a broad bleeding crescent moon in a matted, starless night sky. Arcs of pain and discomfort shot up Pinewhisper once more, but he gritted his teeth and ignored it. He sighed and blinked rapidly, clearing his eyes, before casting a long searching glance around the area. His bottom jaw slid down in shock and horror as he took in the aftermath of the battle. Bodies were strewn across the dirt ground, like how prey carcasses scattered when mischievous kittens ran through the fresh-kill pile. A sea of blood had seemingly washed its bitter tides over the clearing. Scarlet stained the ground deep, and splattered over the dirtied fur of the cats. The coppery tang of the blood had risen up into the air like Death's harbinger, overriding the scents of individual clan. Farther from where Pinewhisper sat, cats were stirring and sitting up, weakly calling out. About three cats - cats that Pinewhisper couldn't identify from the distance - were regrouping, limping weakly. They were at the far end of the battleground from Pinewhisper, and certainly hadn't noticed him yet. ``Great StarClan..`` Pinewhisper croaked, leaf green eyes wide as he looked around the area. Being a full grown warrior, he had fought many battles before over territory or prey disputes. Far too many, in fact, because of the dropping prey rates. But this may as well be the goriest battle he'd surveyed yet. ''Well, of course it is, ''Pinewhisper told himself miserably, ''The battle was agreed to be a Fight to the Death, after all. '' Pinewhisper wanted to close his eyes to block out the grisly sight, but he was transfixed. He had fought in this.. probably even inflicted some of the bleeding wounds in the sides of the cats strewn in the silent clearing. Pinewhisper looked back weakly and warily to the limping and standing cats in the distance. He couldn't identify whether they were ShadowClan or ThunderClan - they were bloodied beyond identification - and the blood seeping into Pinewhisper's pink nose was clogging his sense of smell. But until Pinewhisper was sure he could trust them, he couldn't take any chances. He began backing up, his paws aching and his tired legs protesting as he moved them. He nearly tripped over the still body of some ShadowClan apprentice, unrecognizable from the blood spilled on his creamy fur, and walked around him gingerly. ``Pinewhisper.`` A rough, jagged voice called behind the half standing, half stumbling tom. Pinewhisper's eyes snapped wide in surprise. His legs shook slightly as he ambled around in place and looked among the stirring bodies of cats. Sitting up not far from him - half hidden behind a stocky bush - was a bloody, long-haired tabby brown tom struggling to his feet. ``Is the Clan oka- ''argh!`` ''The tom hissed in pain as he put pressure on a twisted looking front paw, and crumpled back to the ground. ``Mudstorm!`` Pinewhisper called almost instinctively. A small, fiery burst of relief sparked within Pinewhisper at the sight of the senior warrior and friend. He began limping forward, his legs beginning to feel less stiff and uncomfortable the more he walked. The brown tom had dried blood flecking his fur and a heavily bleeding gash on his chest, that dripped as steadily as the laceration on Pinewhisper's brow. Dirt hid the distinctive white leg prints on Mudstorm's hind legs. Pinewhisper stumbled to a halt before him, leaning down and grasping the brown tom by the fluffy scruff. The young warrior quickly hauled back, trying to lift the tom up so he could get to his feet easier. It worked. Mudstorm managed to scrabble untidily to his paws and lean his weight on his good legs, letting the twisted ankle drag on the ground. ``Thanks, son.`` He muttered, ``I couldn't get up myself because of that accursed paw,`` He glanced heatedly at his twisted paw, ``You're a real life saver, you know..`` ''Life saver? ''Pinewhisper mused grimly to himself. He shot a quick look around the clearing again. How could someone that participated in such blood baths be a life saver? ``Don't mention it, Mudstorm.`` Pinewhisper mumbled tiredly, ``Are you feeling okay?`` Mudstorm certainly didn't look okay, between his torn ear, bloody chest, and twisted paw. ``I'm fine.`` He meowed in his surly way. Pinewhisper didn't remark sarcastically as he would've done. He was too exhausted for sarcasm. The dark grey tom shook his head lightly, trying to flick the drops of blood from his eyebrow. Blood was beginning to slide into his eye, and he'd much rather avoid that. Mudstorm was looking around the clearing, and his expression resembled Pinewhisper's when ''he ''had first seen the gore. ``What.. By StarClan's whiskers.. who.. who won?`` Mudstorm seemed to stutter in shock. ``Everyone seems -`` ``Dead.`` Finished Pinewhisper for him. His paws shuffled lightly as he looked around for the nearest body. A limp calico she-cat was lying not far off, her chest rising and falling shallowly. Some other stirring bodies in their vicinity also looked very much alive, though agonized and tired as well. Pinewhisper quickly glanced back over in the way the standing cats were. ``Not everyone, though. But not like we can trust them.`` He flicked his thin, bloody tail over to the group of three to four cats at the far end of the clearing. Because Pinewhisper and Mudstorm were half behind an overbearingly thick bush, the other cats had not seen them yet. Pinewhisper noticed the blood spattering their pelts even from this far. Mudstorm narrowed his grey-blue eyes at them, and nodded slowly. ``I can't tell who won,`` Admitted Pinewhisper softly, ``Who could've won in this carnage?`` This time, the brown senior warrior didn't reply. Instead, he was staring at a figure shifting in the shadows not far off, where shade had befallen him from the trees. The tom began limping forward at a slow pace, his twisted paw dragging along on the dusty ground. Pinewhisper tilted his head in confusion and fixed his gaze to the cat Mudstorm had been looking at. The body had ginger, golden-patched fur, and was lying lopsidedly on the ground, blood spilled over him. The mix of gold, ginger, and red seemed to give the impression of a fiery sun dying on the horizon at sun-down. Wait a moment - could that be -? ``Blazestar?`` Pinewhisper mewed in shock. Relief slowly began washing over him as he padded after Mudstorm. Soon the warrior found himself picking his way over still bodies lying on the ground, covered in dust and blood. He recognized the face of one burly ShadowClan warrior, Howlstride. Pinewhisper's eyes narrowed with hostility as he remembered sparring one-on-one with Howlstride during the battle.. the ShadowClan warrior had given him a nasty glance to the forehead, which'd resulted in Pinewhisper's bloody brow. Pinewhisper watched the rival warrior on the ground for a moment, half expecting him to wake up suddenly and leap for his throat, but Howlstride did nothing but lay there breathing shallowly. Part of Pinewhisper was tempted to slit Howlstride's throat and end him then and there, but the action would be considered dishonorable by the Warrior Code. But then again, it wasn't like anyone followed it anymore. Pinewhisper sighed and turned, padding along. Perhaps another day. Mudstorm had paused by the fiery colored cat's body, checking his breathing desperately. Pinewhisper limped up beside him and glanced over at Blazestar. A deep, oozing wound was cut into the tom's flank. Blazestar's paws were bloodied and still unsheathed, the claws glinting in the half light. A whole half of Blazestar's ear was torn off, as was the tip of the tom's tail. A light laceration laced his collarbone and neck. The ThunderClan leader's expression was as if he were sleeping on a nightmare. His eyelids fluttered a few times and his nose twitched, teeth bearing. Mudstorm's grey-blue eyes were puzzled as they viewed the leader. ``He's not dead.. but I could barely detect his breathing.`` Murmured Mudstorm anxiously, pressing his paw further up Blazestar's stained chest fur. The leader's taut muscles rippled lightly under the fur. Pinewhisper blinked in concern, ``Perhaps he's losing a life?`` He wondered aloud, looking at Mudstorm. Pinewhisper was relieved to find his leader again, but also rather worried as to his condition. Guilt swamped over the young warrior's heart. If Blazestar really was losing a life, it was Pinewhisper's fault.. he had been fighting near the leader, and should've taken the initiative to help Blazestar instead of only holding his own. The senior tabby warrior shrugged, but nodded thoughtfully at the preposition. Suddenly, Blazestar's amber eyes snapped wide awake, and he gave a jarring breath. Both Pinewhisper and Mudstorm hopped back a step or two in surprise. The leader was panting, looking bewildered. Though there was a renewed, sharp glint in his eye. ``Blazestar!`` Exclaimed Mudstorm, eyes wide. ``You.. you startled me. For StarClan's sake, what made you wake up like that?`` The ginger splashed leader blinked rapidly, cringing with pain. He looked from Pinewhisper to Mudstorm, then behind them at the gore of the battle, before gasping in a shaky voice, ``What.. what happened..?`` ``The battle is over,`` Pinewhisper assured quickly. His worries were assauged at seeing his leader well and awake in all this chaos. ``I think ThunderClan might've won.. I'm not quite sure though.`` ``Are you alright, Blazestar?`` Fretted Mudstorm, ``Can you stand?`` ``I.. I think,`` Sighed Blazestar in a weary voice. He tried getting up on his feet, but immediately tumbled back down. ``''Ah!`` ''He yelped, ``I don't think I can get up..`` Mudstorm exchanged a worried glance with Pinewhisper. Blazestar turned his head, wincing occassionally, and scanned the area. His amber eyes were surprised and cautious, but his reaction hardly gave much else away. As he looked, Pinewhisper got a look at his wounds. The grey warrior did a double take in shock. Were the wounds... vanishing..? Indeed, some of the lighter wounds seemed to be gradually pulling together under Blazestar's crimson stained fur. The large gash in the leader's side was bleeding less and less. ``B-Blazestar,`` meowed a flustered Pinewhisper, ``Your wounds are -?`` ``Yes, Pinewhisper,`` Blazestar suddenly turned from the grim battlefield to his warrior solemnly. ``My wounds are healing. You see.. I.. I had lost a life.. My fifth life. I went into a dream state in my death and met.. Cloverstep..`` He paused for a moment. Pinewhisper was thrown back to the days the former medicine cat, Cloverstep, had been alive. She had been a medicine cat when Pinewhisper had been an apprentice.. she'd always been helpful and understanding, unlike her own apprentice at the time. ``Cloverstep told me that I was losing a life,`` Continued the leader. He tried getting up and was beginning to succeed this time. Mudstorm slid to his side and supported his flank as Blazestar steadied himself on his feet. Blazestar nodded appreciatively to the brown warrior before murmuring, ``She told me that as I awoke my wounds would heal. And that the battle was over for now, but not 'the war'.`` Puzzlement flashed in Blazestar's amber eyes at the enigmatic ending before he sighed. ``Anyway.. are any other warriors up and running like you two?`` An image of the group of cats at the farthest end of the clearing Pinewhisper had seen earlier flashed before his eyes. ``Unfortunately,`` Pinewhisper mumbled grimly. ``I saw about four to five cats - couldn't tell if they were ShadowClan or not - regrouping by the farthest end of the clearing when I rose. They didn't see me so I managed to slip away.`` Concern flashed like embers in Blazestar's eyes. ``I see..`` He sighed, ``Thank you for informing me.`` Mudstorm grimaced. He was gazing out at the battlefield, back turned to Pinewhisper and Blazestar, when he muttered darkly over his shoulder, ``Those cats you saw, Pinewhisper, aren't the only ones up anymore.`` And Mudstorm was right. Nearer to them in the battlefield, five warriors had gotten up, stumbling about weakly, trying to wake others, or licking wounds. Pinewhisper swallowed his nervousness and squinted his verdant eyes at the figures, trying to distinguish them. He thought he recognized two as ThunderClan warriors, but the other three seemed to be ShadowClan cats. One of the ThunderClan cats had fluffy pale gray and white fur, like a storm cloud, splattered with crimson. Not far from her, just rising to his feet unsteadily, was a darker gray tom. Dovesnow and her brother Jayrunner. Pinewhisper had known them since they were all kits. The three ShadowClan warriors were trying to regroup, and were a few fox-lengths away from Dovesnow and Jayrunner. They didn't seem to be paying the ThunderClan warriors any attention. The rest of the fallen bodies were either the still unconscious or dead. ``Dovesnow and Jayrunner are up.`` Mudstorm nodded to the two cats. He kept his voice down, however, noticing the three other ShadowClan cats up. One of them was Howlstride, hissing and blundering about as he searched wearily for a cat in particular. Most likely the ShadowClan leader Hawkstar, who had led the ShadowClan patrol into battle. ``We have to get out here,`` Pinewhisper hissed to Blazestar and Mudstorm, ``We won't be able to hold off against hostile ShadowClan cats in this state.`` ``We outnumber them right now..`` Meowed Mudstorm, sounding skeptical of Pinewhisper's idea. Pinewhisper glared at him in disbelief. How can Mudstorm even consider continuing the fight against the ShadowClan cats when they were all weak and bloodied? In the battle itself neither side had backed down, the hungry cats relentlessly battering each other with claws and desperate fury. They had wanted the strip of land badly for prey. In times like these where hunger and power greed reigned rather than the Warrior Code. The feeling of hunger was like an old friend to Pinewhisper and his clanmates, an old friend that visited all too often, all too unwelcome. But now with his wounds burning and his body aching, Pinewhisper could hardly pay heed to his empty stomach. Now there was no choice than to play the part of coward. ``Pinewhisper is right, Mudstorm,`` Meowed Blazestar, though he sounded hesitant, ``We can't fight in this condition. I want to you to go fetch Dovesnow and Jayrunner and rouse as many other of our cats as you can. We'll regroup and get out here back to camp. The longer we stay here while the ShadowClan cats rise, the more vulnerable we'll be.`` Mudstorm sighed resignedly and nodded, quickly limping over and calling to the disoriented Dovesnow and Jayrunner. The two sibling warriors were raising up in the middle of the clearing, bloody and disgruntled. Dovesnow's fluffy, soft white pelt was marred with red splashes and Jayrunner's light gray fur was torn and bloodied. Pinewhisper's paws hesitantly trotted back out into the clearing. Dovesnow was struggling to fully rise to her paws, and was half dragging herself forward to get on her feet. On the other hand, her brother Jayrunner was standing and looking very astray. His gaze flickered around the area wildly and he seemed to be meowing incorrigibly to himself. Blood dripped out of a claw blow from the side of his head, and Pinewhisper winced upon noticing it. Mudstorm was picking his way over what was definitely a deceased body of a ShadowClan cat that Pinewhisper didn't recognize, on his way to Dovesnow. When suddenly - ``You two!`` The wary voice of a she-cat hissed. Pinewhisper's eyes widened. He spun around on the spot, and spotted the caller. A calico she cat was stumbling over, maneuvering with surprising dexterity around the strewn bodies, towards the ThunderClan cats. She was obviously a ShadowClan warrior - one of the three awoken ShadowClan warriors. The other two, Howlstride and the smaller one, were farther off. ``What do you want?`` Pinewhisper demanded in a low growl to the calico, his claws sliding out. He quickly looked over to where Mudstorm was, leading the weakened Dovesnow and Jayrunner over to the cover of trees. The senior warrior signaled to Pinewhisper with his tail; ''Hold your ground against her. '' Pinewhisper didn't need to be told twice. ``Where are you going?`` Snarled the she-cat, beginning to step forward on unsheathed claws. ``Not running, I hope. Brave ThunderClan, fleeing from battle -`` She suddenly paused to cough out a spray of blood, before continuing on as if nothing had happened, ``This is ''supposed ''to be a Fight to the Death. Do I have to educate you on what that means?`` She hissed in amusement, scraping a bloody claw on the ground. Pinewhisper suppressed the rising tide of fear in his heart, ``You're delusional if you think you or I can fight in these conditions! We outnumber you, anyway!`` The calico's amber orbs narrowed lividly. ``That doesn't mean I won't be able to rip your throat out.`` She began striding forward, raising a claw into the air, lips drawn back in a bloodlusty snarl. Pinewhisper hissed. He was feeling in no condition to fight, but he couldn't lay down and let the she-cat take as many blows as she wanted on him. His dark grey fur bristled along his spine and prepared to leap forward onto the she-cat when she got close enough, when a yowl cut the air and disrupted the to-be-fight. ``Enough!`` Blazestar was padding over slowly but surely, his eyes on fire with anger. ``Scarletwing of ShadowClan, stand down.``